It’s hard to believe we just completed Speak Easy No. 8! And like it’s seven predecessors, it was another sell-out. We had five first-time readers, and five previous readers. Three of our new readers had been audience members in the past and had decided to take the leap to the stage and read. It’s nice to know we inspire people.
Next up, in honor of the upcoming Fringe Festival, our September 10 Speak Easy will have a Secrets & Confessions theme. Our readers will be sharing pieces that reveal a secret/confession. We’ll also be sharing short secrets collected from others that day. Do you have want to cleanse your soul and participate? Share your secret anonymously at: rocspoke.org/secret.
Please be sure to check out the pictures from the August Speak Easy below, and don’t forget to sign up for our mailing list so you know what’s coming up!
Lineup for Speak Easy No. 8, Sunday 8/13/2017 at Cheshire:
Letter to My Half-Sister — Lise Kunkel
Untitled — John Curtis
Case Study #73 — RP Siegel
Vox, Ambo and Lazy Tongue — Bridget Connolly
Agent Provocateur — David Holloway
Blood Sugar — Evvy Fanning
And Then It Hits Me — Scott Seifritz
Red Solo Cup Conversations — Kat Bakrania
Pet Sitting — Steve Seifritz
Anansi — Asher Phillips
Special Thanks to Martin Petrella for Photography!
Speak Easy No. 8!
Another sold-out crowd starts filling up Cheshire.
A man of many hats (not shown in this pic) — Co-Founder, writer, and MC — Scott Seifritz welcomes the crowd.
The crowd enjoys Scott’s welcome.
We kick things off with second-time reader, Lise Kunkel.
Lise reading Letter to My Half-Sister.
Lise first read at Speak Easy in June.
Lise gets a big hand from the crowd.
First-time reader, John Curtis, shares some anecdotes about his father.
John gets animated.
John Curtis reading an untitled poem.
Up next, first time reader RP Siegel.
RP Siegel reading Case Study #73.
RP was one of three who went from past audience member to first-time reader.
You’ll never go thirsty at Cheshire!
Yet another first-time reader, Bridget Connolly.
Bridget reading her poems Vox, Ambo, and Lazy Tongue.
Bridget was a long-time audience member before taking a leap to the stage.
Our last reader before intermission is David Holloway.
David reading Agent Provocateur.
Rebecca enjoys David’s story.
This is David’s third trip to the Speak Easy stage.
Intermission! Time for a refill!
The Cheshire staff will cure what ails you.
Rochester Spoken Word Co-Founder and Cheshire Proprietor, Evvy Fanning, awaits her introduction.
Evvy shares some pre-story words with the crowd.
Evvy reading Blood Sugar.
Next up, briefly wearing his reader hat, Scott Seifritz.
Scott reading And Then It Hits Me.
Scott gets some laughs.
A new Speak Easy audience member enjoying herself.
Next up, Kat Bakrania.
Kat reading Red Solo Cup Conversations.
This is Kat’s second time on the Speak Easy stage heaving read in June.
Scott adjusts the mic for another first-time reader — his brother — Steve Seifritz.
Steve reading his piece, Pet Sitting.
Steve is another long-time audience member turned reader.
Last up, our youngest-ever Speak Easy talent, Asher Phillips.
Asher reading his poem, Anansi.
Asher was part of the inaugural cast of Listening to the Future in June.
Scott kicks off the writer Q&A portion of the show.
Evvy answers a question form the audience.
Kat gives her response.
Bridget gets a laugh.
Rebecca poses a question to David.
David gives his answer.
The audience enjoys the Q&A.
Steve answers a query.
Asher explains the imagery in his poem.
Our photographer, Martin Petrella, poses with past (and future) reader, Rebecca Haskins